


Bring Him Back

by fictionart



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Spider-Man Identity Reveal, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, clint is very emotional, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-31
Updated: 2019-03-31
Packaged: 2019-12-27 02:27:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18294989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fictionart/pseuds/fictionart
Summary: When Tony comes back from Titan, he doesn't say a word.This makes Clint really mad.





	Bring Him Back

**Author's Note:**

> I'm really sorry if Clint comes across as OOC in this. This is my first Avengers fanfic.
> 
> This story was somewhat inspired by Hell on Earth, written by madasthesea. Go read it, it's very good.
> 
> Not edited so if there's issues...

Tony arrived on Earth only a day or so after the snap. Nebula had managed to jumpstart the Guardians ship to get them off of Titan. Tony had done his best to help, but he had very little knowledge of alien tech, and once the ship was up in space again, Tony felt himself slip from reality.

It was like he was trapped in his own mind, watching Peter die in his arms over and over again. He wished he had said something - God, why didn’t he say something? The kid was literally falling apart in his arms and Tony had said nothing, not even the comfort his kid from the pain he was so clearly suffering. Tony could never seem to shut up before so why had he gone quiet now?

He remained in this state even after they landed on Earth. Nebula practically pulled him off the ship by the scruff of his neck. He vaguely registered that they other Avengers were crowded around the ship. It was the first time he had seen them in over a year - and still he was silent. Tony could hear them muttering about how he didn’t look so good, what had happened. Then Rhodey was in front of him, and Tony’s mind must have registered that he was safe, because after that everything went black.

He woke up a couple of days later, in the hospital wing of the Compound. That’s right, he remembered, he had landed in front of the Compound. Pepper was beside him, an Tony almost started crying because _thank God she isn’t gone too._

When Pepper saw that he was awake she smiled. “You are never allowed to push off another reservation, do you hear me?”

Tony wanted to smile at her, to reassure the faint waver in her voice, but once again it wasn’t like Tony couldn’t speak. He stayed quiet.

He went on several weeks like that, not speaking, barely reacting when people spoke to him. He stayed in his lab for the most part. The other Avengers had decided it wasn’t worth waiting for Tony to come around to start trying to figure out what to do next. At some point Tony knew Scott Lang had showed up - Ant-man. That was when he got a note left on his work desk asking him to start working on some sort of time-jumping technology, complete with some notes left behind from Hank Pym.

Tony buried himself in his work. It became so familiar to him - just like old time when he wouldn’t sleep or eat for extended periods of time, just to complete his next project - or to stave off dealing with his grief.

He still felt as though he was moving through water - not exactly registering any of his surroundings, only picking up on bits and pieces, working on auto-pilot. Sometimes he would notice Rhodey or Pepper come in to try and convince him to eat something or force him to get some sleep on the couch or the work bench. Sometimes he noticed Steve or Natasha watching him through the glass window that led to the hallway.

He still hadn’t spoken a word not since -

One day Clint showed up. He looked different. He had his haircut like some teenage edgelord. He dressed differently too, and was carrying a sword instead of his usually favored bow and arrow.

Clint had barged into Tony’s workshop, the rest of the Avengers - as well as Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel - had rushed into the lab behind him, trying to stop him.

“What right do you have?!” Clint yelled. He sounded wounded, like he was on the brink of literally exploding.

Nat marched toward Clint, reaching for his arm. Tony noticed her red hair was growing back. “Clint, please don’t -”

“Don’t what, Natasha?!” Clint demanded, not taking his eyes off Tony. “Don’t coddle the baby?! I hear you haven’t been speaking, have you Stark. Seems a bit out of character doesn’t it?!”

This time Steve spoke up. “Clint, he’s mourning, leave him be -” 

“Mourning what?! He has lost no one! He still has, Rhodey, and Pepper, and Happy - and if you don’t recall those three seem to be the only people he really cares about. So why, in Tony Stark's self-centered little world, is he mourning?”

Clint went quiet breathing deeply. Tony could feel his heart fracturing into pieces once again, just like it had every time he ever thought about Peter. Tony turned away, not wanting to look Clint in the eye.

“You really aren’t talking, huh?” His voice was softer but no less fierce. “Well you better remember how to, fast, because I want to know what kind of nerve you have to mourn over nothing. My entire family went up in dust - and I didn’t even know why It took me a long time to realize what had happened. My _whole family._ My wife. My kids. My son died in my arms, Stark, so I want you to to _fucking answer me -”_

“My son.”

There was a shocked silence at the sound of Tony’s voice. The room remained quiet until Clint spoke again.

“You don’t have a son.”

Tony sighed and shook his head. “No, I don’t.”

“So why did you -”

“The kid may not have been mine by blood but... we had grown close. I love him like he was my own.” Tony looked up again, this time looking Clint directly in the eyes. “He died in my arms. On Titan.”

Clint’s expression hardened even more. “Why was your supposed son on an alien planet?”

Tony hesitated. “He... he was Spider-Man.”

“Spider-Man,” Steve said in disbelief. “The kid we fought in Leipzig?”

Tony nodded.

“How old was he?”

“At the fight in the airport? I think he was a few months shy of his fifteenth birthday.”

Clint ground his teeth. “You brought a kid into a war -”

“It wasn’t supposed to be a war.” Tony insisted softly. “Look, I knew he was young, but I needed numbers, which at the time seemed important, but I thought that since we were fighting friends, that it would be a safe place for him to learn. Once I saw that it wasn’t I sent him straight back home.”

“What was his name?” Clint demanded harshly.

“Peter.” Tony turned to Clint. “Look. I know you’re hurting, and I know that my pain could never compare to yours. I know I only really lost one person. But he was my son. I loved him like my son.” Tony swallowed the tears which threatened to spill over. “I never told him that.”

The room was quiet again.

Tony reached over and opened up the holographic computer screen. Images of Peter’s face projected into the room. Video clips played. Audio files of Peter talking about how his patrol went that day began rolling, causing the room to echo with the sound of Peter’s voice.

The Avengers stood in awe, taking it all in.

After several minutes, Clint spoke again, softer this time. “I’m sorry, Stark.”

“So am I,” Tony said. “I’m sorry I let a disagreement tear the team apart. I’m sorry I never called you, Steve. I’m sorry I couldn’t stop Thanos from getting the time stone. I’m sorry that I’ve been distant ever since I came back.”

“We’ll get them back,” Carol said, “I’ll make sure of it.”

Later that day, after all the Avengers had filtered out of the room, Clint stayed and sat with Tony, looking at pictures of Peter, Cooper, Lila, and Nathaniel. Clint placed a hand over Tony’s.

“We’ll get them back.”

**Author's Note:**

> Comments always appreciated.
> 
> Follow me on Tumblr @fictionart24


End file.
